Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A system comprising: a handheld electronic device that comprises a first radio operable to communicate in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol; a protective case mounted to said handheld electronic device, wherein said protective case comprises a second radio that is operable to communicate in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol; and wherein said system is operable to, in response to a detection that said system is approaching another device, exchange information with said other device via said second radio, and wherein: said information is for establishing a wireless connection between said first radio and said other device; and at least part of said information is exchanged while said other device is out-of-range of said first radio.
A system comprises a handheld electronic device (like a smartphone) with a built-in radio (first radio) that communicates using a standard wireless protocol (first protocol, e.g., Bluetooth). This device has a protective case attached. The case contains a second radio that uses a different wireless protocol (second protocol). When the system (phone and case) gets close to another device, the case's radio exchanges information with the other device. This information is used to establish a direct wireless connection between the phone's built-in radio and the other device. Importantly, this initial exchange happens while the other device is too far away to be reached by the phone's built-in radio.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first radio is a Bluetooth radio.
The system described previously, which includes a handheld device with a protective case adding wireless capabilities, specifies that the handheld device's original wireless radio (first radio) is a Bluetooth radio. The protective case allows the system to connect to other devices using a separate radio. The case facilitates initial communication with a nearby device even when that device is out of Bluetooth range. This enables establishing a Bluetooth connection between the handheld device and the other device even when the other device is initially too far for direct connection.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system is operable to: determine whether a destination device for which an MMS or SMS message is destined is within range of said second radio; choose which of said first radio and said second radio to use for transmitting said MMS or SMS message based on said determination; and transmit said MMS or SMS message via said chosen radio.
The system, consisting of a handheld device with a protective case providing extra wireless functionality, can determine if the intended recipient of an MMS or SMS message is within range of the case's radio (second radio). Based on this proximity check, the system chooses whether to send the message using the handheld device's built-in radio (first radio) or the case's radio. The message is then transmitted using the selected radio. Thus, the case enables using the radio with the best range for message delivery.
4. A method performed by a protective case that comprises a first radio and a first connector, the method comprising: receiving first data from said handheld electronic device via said first connector; transmitting said first data via said first radio; receiving, via said first radio, second data from another device; and communicating said second data to said handheld electronic device via said first connector; and wherein: said first data and said second data comprise information for setting up a connection between a radio of said handheld electronic device and said other device; said transmitting of said first data is in response to detecting that said case is approaching said other device; and said transmitting of said first data and receiving of said second data occur while said other device is out-of-range of said radio of said handheld electronic device.
A protective case containing a radio (first radio) and a connector for attaching to a handheld electronic device performs a method. The case receives data (first data) from the handheld device through the connector and transmits this data using its radio. It also receives data (second data) from another device using its radio and sends this second data to the handheld device through the connector. The first and second data include information for setting up a connection between the handheld device's radio and the other device. The transmission of the first data is triggered when the case detects it is approaching the other device. The transmission of the first data and reception of the second data occur while the other device is beyond the range of the handheld device's radio.
5. The method of claim 4 , comprising determining a location of said protective case based on said second data.
Building upon the method of the protective case adding wireless communication, which involves transmitting data for connection setup while out of range of the handheld device, the case also determines its location based on the data received from the other device (second data). This location information can then be used by the handheld device for location-based services or other applications. The protective case acts as a bridge, establishing an initial connection and providing location data before a direct connection is possible.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said second data is received from one or more tags operable to communicate in accordance with ISO-18000-7 protocols.
Expanding on the functionality of the protective case with a radio that facilitates out-of-range connection setup, the data received by the case from the other device (second data) comes from tags that communicate using ISO-18000-7 protocols. These tags may be embedded in objects or locations, providing identifying and potentially location-specific data to the protective case. The case thus interacts with ISO-18000-7 compliant tags to initiate connections and provide location context to the handheld device.
7. The method of claim 4 , comprising, prior to said transmitting said first data, processing said first data to make it suitable for transmission via said first radio.
Further detailing the method of the protective case that establishes wireless connections, before the case transmits data received from the handheld device (first data), it processes this data to make it suitable for transmission via its radio. This processing might involve formatting the data, changing the transmission protocol, or encrypting the data. The case ensures the data is properly prepared for transmission over its radio, optimizing compatibility and security.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein: said first data is received from said handheld electronic device in the form of an SMS or MMS message; and said first radio transmits said first data utilizing frequency spectrum that is unlicensed in the location in which said first radio performs said transmitting.
Regarding the protective case that modifies data for transmission: the data received from the handheld device is in the form of an SMS or MMS message. Also, the radio in the protective case transmits the data using a frequency spectrum that is unlicensed in the geographical location where the transmission occurs. This enables SMS/MMS message relay through unlicensed spectrum.
9. The method of claim 4 , wherein said radio of said handheld electronic device is a Bluetooth radio.
Considering the protective case that allows connection setup, the radio of the handheld device, which is intended to connect using setup information transmitted by the protective case, is a Bluetooth radio. The protective case therefore provides an alternative means of establishing Bluetooth connections using the separate radio inside the case.
10. A method performed by a protective case that comprises a first radio and a first connector, the method comprising: receiving first data from said handheld electronic device via said first connector; transmitting said first data via said first radio; receiving, via said first radio, second data from another device; communicating said second data to said handheld electronic device via said first connector; and prior to transmitting said first data, processing said first data to make it suitable for transmission via said first radio; wherein: said first data is received from said handheld electronic device in the form of an SMS or MMS message; and said first radio transmits said first data utilizing frequency spectrum that is unlicensed in the location in which said first radio performs said transmitting.
A protective case with a radio and connector receives data (first data) from a handheld device through the connector and transmits it via its radio. It also receives data (second data) from another device, and sends this to the handheld device. Before transmitting the first data, the case processes it to make it suitable for its radio. The first data is an SMS or MMS message. The case's radio transmits using unlicensed frequency spectrum.
11. The method of claim 10 , comprising determining a location of said protective case based on said second data.
Building on the capabilities of a protective case to transmit/receive data and relay it to the handheld device, the case also determines its location based on the received data (second data). This location information can be passed to the handheld device for use in location-aware applications.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said second data is received from one or more tags operable to communicate in accordance with ISO-18000-7 protocols.
Expanding on the method of a protective case relaying information between a handheld device and another device, the data received by the case (second data) comes from tags communicating using the ISO-18000-7 protocol.
Unknown
January 6, 2015
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